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munching at Munch

Having polled my fellow hounds/hounditas/houndistas re breakfast (and, responders aside, been a little surprised at the paucity of response), we took a recommendation and ended up at Munch (corner of Grand and Wood). Got there a bit before opening (8:50 instead of 9:00) but after several minutes of standing outside, the folks indoors very thoughtfully opened early. I like to think that they saw us and took pity. Whatever.The biscuits and gravy came so highly recommended that two of us had them (at $6.50 as I recall). A number of large, puffy (which seems the right word, not fluffy) biscuits, napped with a generous amount of both gravy AND crumbled sausage. Well-seasoned. Both of the aforementioned companions ate their fill and pronounced the b&g excellent. Whether the dish is the best version that Chicago has to offer remains undetermined, but there was no question about the high quality of that particular dish.I, however, had "Southwestern hash" (for $7.00). The only ingredient that seemed identifiably southwestern was the canned, sliced jalapenos. Otherwise mixed into a cornucopia of ground beef, cubed potatos, tomatos, red onion, the whole topped with a relatively meager amount of cheddar and lightly toasted. Nicely seasoned but otherwise unexceptional. Frankly, I like the breakfast burrito at the late West Egg better. Pleasant but neither particularly southwestern nor particularly noteworthy. (Even the Mexican hash omitted chorizo...hmmm.)Good coffee, reasonable service.I did notice, as one poster commented, that the place could have been a bit...spiffier. It didn't look as though anyone had bothered to sweep up from the evening before. Still, the tables and silver were certainly clean.Ambiance is not so much poor as simply non-existent. All in all, worth a visit but we're not rushing back (unless the b&g mood strikes). Thanks to those who responded.

Making the galette crepe with a sunny side up egg, chorizo and avocado cream from Trois Familia in Silver Lake, Los Angeles.

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Easy Crab Cakes

Crab cakes are so often disappointing -- mushy or gummy, full of starchy filler. But these easy cakes are full of beautiful lump crabmeat, and a light panko coating ensures they fry up crispy and golden brown. Bright, lemony aioli makes a piquant counterpart to the sweet, sweet crab. Read more.